KA releases RME Central Africa

KA Research Limited and KA Consulting Limited has the pleasure of announcing the release of the third in itsSeries of Regional Media Environment (RME) Reports, a digest compiled wholly from materials produced by a wide range of recognized external information sources focusing on trends and issues most commonly affecting media in different countries, namely political, ethnic or other affiliation of media; availability of independent media; vulnerability of available independent media; internet and mobile providers; government regulations on Internet and mobile infrastructure; internet monitoring capabilities in place; the popularity of social media, including blogs and the quality of investigative journalism in general.

The third RME Report released today is on Central Africa. Individual countries covered are Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Somalia, Niger, Nigeria, Burundi and Kenya.

Key Trends from RME Central Africa Report are as follows:

Press freedom conditions in Zimbabwe have somewhat improved since the formation of a government of national unity—which included the opposition Movement for Democratic Change—in February 2009;

Conditions in Kenya and has also been improving compared with the violent postelection period in 2008, including fewer cases of official censorship;

Internet access is mainly clustered in urban areas and spread among youth. Generally the low levels of internet usage mean there is little government surveillance or control in the region.

The use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter was especially prominent and effective during the election period in Nigeria;